Wire-clamp.



W. A. CLANTON & R. K. COX. WIRE CLAMP.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 18. 19l5.

Patented Nov. 14, 1916.

Attorneys,

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WILLIAM AUSTIN CLANTON' AND ROBERT KILGORE COX, OF WOOD, VIRGINIA.

WIRE-CLAMP.

Application filed October 18, 1915. Serial No. 56,541.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, WILLIAM A. GLAN- TON and ROBERT K. Cox, citizens of the United States, residing at Wood, in the county of Scott, State of Virginia, have invented a new and useful Wire-Clamp, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention appertains to wire clamps.

One of the objects of the invention is the provisionofa novel clamp for holding the fence wires and for attaching them to the stretcher, said clamp embodying a pair of bars and unique means for clamping them together, and said bars being composed of sections which can be detached and used separately for providing clamps of smaller sizes.

It is also within the scope of the invention to provide a mechanism of the nature indicated which is comparatively simple and inexpensive in construction, as well as being convenient, practical and eflicient in use.

lVith the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed can be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

The invention is illustrated in'the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a side elevation of the clamp, portions thereof being shown in section. Fig. 2 is anotherside elevation of the clamp, the line of view being at right angles with the line of view in Fig. 1, and portions of the clamp being broken away. Fig. 3 is a fragmental elevation of the clamp. Fig. 4 is a cross section thereof. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the two longer sections of the clamping bars used as a medium sized wire clamp. f

The clamp embodiesa pair of clamping bars 12, each of which is preferably although not necessarily, constructed of wood covered by sheet metal, as at 3. The bar 1 is divided between its ends to provide a relatively long section 1 and a relatively short section 5, and the bar 2 is similarly divided to provide a relatively long section 6 and a relatively short section 7. The long sections of the two bars overlap the adjacent ends of the sections of the opposite bars, as seen in Fig. 1, whereby the oints of the two bars will be spaced apart. The adjacent faces or sides of the bars 12 are provided with cooperating longitudinal corrugations 8 whereby the wires can be effectively gripped between the bars.

The sections of each bar are detachably connected, and to this end a hinge 9 is employed for connecting each pair of sections, said hinge embodying leaves 1011 secured to certain edges of the sections at the adjacent ends thereof. The leaf 10 has a pair of butts 12 through which a pin or rivet 13 is engaged, and the leaf 11 has a hook-shaped butt 1 1 engageable with the pin 18 between the butts 12, whereby when the sections are swung together to break the joint therebetween, the'hook 14 can readily be engaged with and disengaged from the pin 13 to assemble or separate the sections, respectively.

The sections of each bar are normally held in alinement by means of a hook 15 loosely connected by means of an eye screw 16 to that edge of one section opposite the hinge, and the hook 15 is engageable with an eye screw or keeper 17 attached to the corresponding edge of the other section. Thus, when the sections are swung into alinement, the hook 15 can be swung into engagement with the keeper 17 for holding the sections in alinement, and whereby they will be rigi relative to one another. When the hook 15 is released, the sections can be swung upon the hinge, so that the hook 14 can be disengaged from the pin 13 to detach the sections.

In order to clamp the bars 1-2 together, rods 18 are slidable through the bar 1 between the edges thereof, and handles 19 are pivoted to certain ends of the rods 18, said handles each being constructed from a blank of sheet metal which is doubled upon a lon-. gitudinal line. The flanges of the handles 19 have projecting from certain ends, cams or eccentrics 20, which straddle andare piv= oted to the respective ends of the rods 18, so that the eccentrics or cams 20 bear against the outer side of the bar 1, as clearly seen in Fig. 1. The inner side of the bar 1 has recesses or counter bores 21 within which coiled wire expansion springs 22 are disposed around the rods 18, one end of each spring bearing against the bottom of the recess and the other end being secured to Patented Nov. 14:, 1916.

the rod 18, to normally project the rod from the inner side of the bar 1. Nuts or heads 23 are threaded or otherwise engaged upon the free or protruding ends of the rods 18.

The bar 2 is provided with suitably spaced key-hole shaped slots 24 for the reception of the rods 18, the heads of the slots 24 allowing the nuts 23 to pass therethrough when the bars are assembled, and then when the bars are shifted longitudinally relative to one another, the rods 18 are brought within the tails of the slots 24, so that the nuts 23 bear upon or rest against the outer side of the bar 2. The sections of the bar 2 are provided at certain ends with open slots 24 which are equivalent of the key-hole shaped slots 24 for receiving the rods 18.

In applying the clamp to the fence wires, supposing the clamping bars to be detached, with the handles 19 swung to allow the rods 18 to be projected,the bars are placed upon the opposite sides of the wires, and the bars are then assembled by engaging the rods 18 in the slots of the bar 2, as above indicated, so that the nuts or heads 23 bear against the outer side of the bar 2. The handles 19 are then swung so that the cams 2O pull the rods 18 through the bar 1, which results in the bars being-drawn tightly together to grip the wires. The bar 1 is provided at spaced points at one edge thereof with eyes or attaching means 25 to which a chain 26 can be connected for purpose ofpulling the clamp by means of the wire stretcher.

The salient feature of the invention resides in the fact that the sections of the clamping bars can be used for forming clamps of smaller sizes. Thus, when the sections of the bars are detached the sections and 6 of the two bars can be assembled, as illustrated in Fig. 5, forproviding a medium sized clamp, said sections being assembled in the manner of thecomplete bars 1-2, and the rods 18 and slots 24124 of the sections are so arranged, that the sections may be'readily assembled. In a like manner, the smaller sections 5-7 can be assembled for providing a small sized clamp. The. device can therefore be used .in three different sizes, which is very desirable. Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A wire clamp embodying a pair of clamping bars, each divided into a long and a short section, means for clamping the sections of the two bars together, the long sections of the two bars being in overlapped relation, the short sections of the two bars being at opposite ends of the clamp, the sections of the barsbeing separable and the short and long sections of the two bars be- Oopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the ing adapted to be assembled for smaller sized clamps.

'2. A wire clamp embodying a pair of clamping bars, and interengageable means carried thereby for clamping them together, each bar being divided to provide a relatively long and a relatively short section, and the joints between the sections of the two bars being spaced.

3. A wire clamp comprising a pair of clamping bars, and means for clamping them together, each bar being divided into sections, and the sections of each bar being detachably connected.

4. A wire clamp embodying a pair of clamping bars, interengageable means carried by the bars for clamping them together, each bar being divided between its ends into a relatively long and a relatively short section, the joints of the two bars being spaced apart, and means for detachably connecting each pair of sections.

5. A wire clamp comprising a pair of clamping bars, a plurality of interengageable means carried thereby for clamping provid ng the bars together, each bar being divided into sections, the'sections being adapted to be assembled independently when they are .detached, and means for detachably connecting each pair of sections embodying a hinge having detachable leaves secured to the sections, and a catch for holding the sections in alinement, the hinge leaves being detachable when the sections are swung relative to one another.

6. A wire clamp embodying a pair of clamping bars, a plurality of inter-engageable means carried thereby for clamping them together, each bar being divided between its ends into a relatively long and a relatively short section, the relatively long and relatively short sections being adapted to be assembled when they'are detached to provide smaller clamps, and means for detachably connecting the sections of each bar embodying a hinge having leaves attached to the sections, one hinge leaf having a pair of butts and a pin carried thereby, the other hingeleaf having a hook engageable with said pin between said butts, a hook carried by one section, and a keeper carried by the other section with which the hook is engageable to hold the sections in alinement.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own, we have hereto afiixed our signatures in the presence of twowitnesses.

WVILLIAM AUSTIN GLANTON.

ROBERT KILGORE COX.

Witnesses: V

WV. W. FLANARY W. H. LANGEY.

Washington, D. G.

Commi si n o aw s, 

